We’re a non-profit climate change think tank which uses data analysis to build evidence-based campaigns on climate policy.
We focus on EU policies such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, carbon border adjustment mechanisms and emissions reductions in industrial sectors. We believe in Europe’s ability to lead climate action by example and use its large market and ability to stimulate technological competition as an incentive for others to follow. But we’re also aware of the risk that Europe might fail to deliver on its own pledges, which is why we want to get EU climate policy right.
News
Fixing the Commission’s Innovation Fund Fixation
Joint blog with Carbon Market Watch25 May 2023 Sandbag's feedback to the EC25 May 2023 The EU’s Innovation Fund, launched in 2018, is the EU’s programme for funding cutting-edge low-carbon...
Free Allocation Needs to Incentivise Circularity for the EU to Reach Net Zero
From Process to Product: A Fix to the Allocation of Free Emission Permits to Industry
On 18 April 2023, Sandbag presented to the European Commission’s Expert Group on Climate Change Policy a proposal for reforming the granting of free emission permits to industry under the bloc’s...
The Net Zero Industry Act: all industry, no net zero
The European Commission’s proposal for a Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) as part of the Green Deal Industrial Plan purports to boost the European green transition whilst decreasing dependence on third...
The European Hydrogen Bank: a recipe for competitive distortion
Last Thursday, the European Commission published its Communication on the European Hydrogen Bank set to accompany the Net-Zero Industry Act, the legislative proposal for which was published on the...
EU criteria for green hydrogen: How they could increase reliance on thermal power and hijack the energy transition
On February 13th, the European Commission released two pieces of legislation to provide criteria defining renewable hydrogen products. The so-called Delegated Acts matter because they set out how to...
